Public Works Report: May 2018

Airport:
• Airport constructions projects are progressing well.
Buildings and Grounds:
• Sprinkler systems have been repaired and are functional with the exception of Witter Field. Witter Field has a pump failure that will require a well driller and broken feed lines to outfield that will need repair by City staff.
• Splash pad is open and operational with the exception of the jets that are part of the “race” feature – there is a broken line that will have to be addressed by the installer.
• Bathroom interior painting is complete at Robinson Park and bathrooms there are open
• Summer help is trickling in and are being used for string trimming-mowing at this time
• 3 to 4 mowers are being dispatched most days to try and catch up with park-boulevard mowing
• Grass complaints are starting to come in for private property violations
• Zoo is operational and open
• Bathrooms at the Witter Warming house have been prepped and open for skate park use
• Expressway project for butterfly habitat is underway – mowing experiment has started
• New perimeter fence on last structure at zoo is complete
Engineering:
• 26 Permits/Applications for driveway grades, concrete pour inspections, storm water, excavating
• 347 Diggers Locates for Storm Sewer & Sanitary Sewer
• Completed High Accuracy Level Run to further complete elevation bench loop runs for future capital projects.
• Contracts – Contract documents for concrete and asphalt are being executed
• Sidewalk inspections are complete for 7th St (Oak to E Grand) and are 25% complete for the E Grand Ave corridor.
Traffic:
• MSA is nearing completion of the traffic study. The timing plans will be completed in May and are anticipated to be installed in June. In addition, the Lincoln Street/Expy and Lincoln St/Daly St., scoping is complete with preparations being made for design documents.
• One new camera was installed at STH 54 and Washington St intersection due to water damage.
• Speed Studies were conducted this spring with the following results:
- 85th percentile speed on 16th St S at Clyde Ave = 34.0 mph, max = 49 mph, 2108 AADT
- 85th percentile speed on 16th St S south of Township Ave = 33.0 mph, max = 45 mph, 1609 AADT
- 85th percentile speed on 16th St S at Lincoln HS = 34.0 mph, max = 54 mph, 2116 AADT
- 85th percentile speed on Washington St at Washington School = 33.0 mph, max = 44 mph, 887 AADT
- 85th percentile speed on Washington St at Washington School = 33.0 mph, max = 44 mph, 887 AADT
- 85th percentile speed on 1st St N at Strawberry Lane = 35.0 mph, max = 48 mph, 645 AADT
- 85th percentile speed on 2nd St at Mead St = 30.0 mph, max = 46 mph, 230 AADT
- 85th percentile speed on Baker St at 14th St = 34.0 mph, max = 47 mph, 4837 AADT
• Engineering met with Tracy Ginter, Principal at WRAMS and Eric Davens, Safety Officer, on 5/17/18 to discuss traffic concerns as they add 350 additional students.
Project Designs/Construction underway:
• 2nd Ave S DOT Project –Joint Finance Committee has approved the sale of the land at the DOT location. A conference call was held between the city, DOT and DOA to coordinate the sale. Sale ispending.
• E Grand Ave – Bridge to 8th St – Two properties, Parcel 17 and Parcel 31, are approaching thedeadline to have their own appraisals done. In order to stay on schedule to meet the August 1st, 2018 deadline to clear the real-estate needs the condemnation documents have been drafted. The acquisition of Parcel 9 is also behind schedule. Parcel 9 is federally owned and no communication has been returned about the documents and numerous phone calls have been attempted to reach staff locally.
• Centralia Parking Lot – on hold
• 1st St N from Poplar to City Limits – American Asphalt paved the recreational trail on 5-29-18.
• Washington St – Sommers Construction has completed the sidewalk work on Washington St. and City crews are finalizing the restoration.
• Quinnell Cr. Dredging – The Assessment Hearing is proposed for the June Public Works Meeting.
2018 reconstruction projects:
• High Street – 7th Ave N to 10th Ave N started May 14th.
• Engineering will be sending out documents to property owner to obtain real-estate on High St. between 12th and 17th Ave during the month of June.
• 29th Ave Storm Sewer Replacement was completed mid-May.
• A preconstruction walk-through was held with property owners on High St (7-10) and Van Buren St. on May 2nd at 5:00pm.
2019 & 2020 designs for reconstruction projects
• Structure Inspections are 90% complete for the 2020 design/construction projects
• Preliminary survey was started for 10th St from Grove to Airport.
E River Bank Recreational Trail
• Phase I – construction of the trail south of the Expressway is nearing completion. Work continues under the bridge and in Demitz Park.
• Phase II - 95% plan review meeting was held on May 23rd at City Hall.
Streets:
• Completed spring cleanup with sweepers of entire city
• Completed spring yard waste pickup (was challenging due to garbage trucks broken down)
• Completed May monthly brush pickup
• Finished storm sewer installation on 29th Ave North from Industrial to Jefferson
• Started High Street construction project 7th – 10th Ave. Installed 16’ deep manhole and made all connections and ran out 200’ of 36” storm (slow going due to rock, pipe that is poured in concrete and deep.
• Finished restoration and cleanup on Washington street (2017 construction project)
• Installed steps, finished graded gravel to prep for pavement on 1st street north
• Moved beam guard on 1st Street north on north end of project
• Repaired beam guard on STH 54, West Riverview Expressway and STH 34 that was damaged by snow plows
• Pulverized and Graded West Side Alleys
• Began miscellaneous aggregate grading
• Finished reshaping Police training range to allow for proper drainage at range house
• Poured concrete slab and moved communication building for Police Department from Eastside water tower to Westside water tower
• Finished plow damage caused by last 20” snow storm
• Catch basin repairs underway
• Catch basin rebuild caused by Fire Hydrant installationo Catch basin repair on 8th and Two mile and then concrete patch repair after catch basin complete
• Provide traffic control for multiple WWLC water main break asphalt patches
• Dressed Landscaped areas with fresh hardwood bark and have continued to pull weeds with summer help when opportunity arises
• Screened topsoil for first half of the season
• Got compost sites ready for the year
• Assist installation of new motor into new snow blower
• Repair on garbage truck due to water pump failure
• Completed buildout of Catch Basin Trailer
• Completed welding/repairs on numerous pieces of equipment from hard surfacing buckets, installing new floors in dump trucks, fixing plows, etc.
• Took delivery of 2 Scag 60” mowers and 1 Jacobsen 15’ mowers prepped for active service
• Removed snow fighting equipment and switched over to summer activities
• Fixed traffic control signs that were hit due to snow plowing or accidents from winter driving.
• Put up flags and banners for Memorial day
• Replace “No Parking” signs throughout the city that were faded
Wastewater:
• Plant staff has discovered a new chemical used for phosphorus removal and bio flocculation. Poly-Aluminum Chloral-Hydrate has shown bench top improvements compared to the current Ferric Chloride chemical P for removal and settling. If successful this chemical could help reclaim much of the plants clarifier capacity, and also reduce chemical P removal costs by 39%.
• Collection system crews have been cutting roots, cleaning catch basins, and televising sewers.
• A1 Excavating is in the middle stages of the West Side Lift Station Force Main replacement. The crew is 90% complete with the open cut trench pipe laying, and is 30% complete with the river-crossing direction drilling. A1 hopes to be complete with the project in early August.
• Plant maintenance staff has fixed several biogas generator exhaust leaks. This was inhibiting normal operation of the unit. After the fix, the generator is running at 300 KW once again.
• Summer months are busy time for septic tank pumping. So far this year the Utility has accepted 743,485 gallons of septic tank waste. A 32% increase from last year.
• Plant maintenance staff has installed a new centrifugal pump at the Washington Street lift station. This pump replaces the original station pump that was 32 years old. The new pumps will be more efficient and hopefully last just as long.
• The Wastewater Treatment Department has developed a mission statement:
“Our Resource Recovery Facility strives to efficiently and effectively reclaim water, make green power, and produce Exceptional Quality fertilizer.”
Other:
• Attended the APWA spring conference in Green Bay. Educational session attended include:
• Road and Street preventative maintenance strategies
• Erosion control: Survive a notice of violation
• Brace Yourself! Practices for bidding in a strong economy
• Civil engineering and trees
• Adaptive Leadership
• Milwaukee snow and ice control
• Ethics and making Visual Sense
• Currently working with the Mayor and staff using a research grant from Harvard in attempt to improve recycling
compliance prior to kicking off new refuse collection services
• Met with DNR Secretary Dan Meyer and the Secretary’s director, Dan Bauman along with Mayor Vruwink. We visited the projects that grants are helping fund and discussed how the City can be a resource for the DNR when needed.

Public Works Report - May 2018